The United States has attempted to export liberal democratic institutions through military occupation and reconstruction throughout its history, with mixed results. For every West Germany or Japan, there is a Cuba, Haiti, Somalia, or Vietnam. Why does liberal democracy take hold in some countries but not in others? Why do we observe such different outcomes in military interventions? Do efforts to export democracy help more than they hurt? In After War, Christopher Coyne addresses these and other questions by examining the mechanisms and institutions that contribute to the success of reconstruction programs by creating incentives for sustained cooperation.